Fusible-plug cut-off valve.



No. 802,730. PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905.

E. S. BEATTY.

FUSIBLE PLUG CUT-OFF VALVE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. e, 1905.

EDWARD S. BEATTY, OF HAMPDEN, NGRTH DAKOTA.

vFLlSlBLE-'f-"LUG 'OUT-OFF VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenreaoct. 2a, 1905.

Application filed February 6, 1905. Serial No. 244,367.

To t/Z whom, t may concern:

Be it known that LEDWARD S. BnATTY,a citizen of the United States, residing at Hampden, in the county of Ramsey and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fusible-Plug Cut-Off Valves; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to boilers, and has for its object to provide a simple and efficient fusible-plugeut-off valve therefor.

To such ends the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claim.

As is well known, it is the common practice to provide at a suitable point in the fire-box of a boiler a fusible plug which, as long as it is covered with water, will not be melted by the lire, but which when the water is lowered so as to uncover the same and to expose or nearly expose some of the ldues will melt and allow the steam to blow into the lire-box and put out the fire. lith the fusible plugs as hitherto arranged it has been necessary after a fusing of the plug to permit the escape of all of the steam from the boiler. To again raise the steam to the required temperature to run the engine takes up considerable time. Hence the melting out of these plugs has hitherto occasioned. the loss of a great deal of time. If, for instance, the fusible plugin the boiler of a threshing-engine should be melted out at a busy time when a large crew of men are employed, it is evident that a large loss in time and consequent loss in money must be incurred. My invention provides a device by means of which at any time after the fusible plug is melted out the passage opened by the melting of the plug may be closed, thereby cutting off the further escape of steam as soon as water has again been supplied to the boiler or as soon as the lire has been sufficiently dampened to relieve the flues from danger of being' burned out.

The invention consists, broadly, in placing a fusible plug and a cut-off valve in a passage between the steam or water chamber and the fire-cham ber of the boiler, with the said fusible plug, of course, arranged at the proper point to protect the lues.

The invention is illustrated in the aecomof Eig. 1.

panying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views. Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section taken through a portion of the outer shell and lire-box of a boiler of the locomotive type and showing my fusible-plug cut-off applied in working position thereto. Eig. 2 is a detail view, in side elevation, showing the cut-off valveillustrated in Eig. 1 removed from werking position. Eig. 3 is a see-tion on the line Eig. L1 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through a portion of the shell and fire-box of a horizontal boiler of the return-flue type, and Fig. 5 is a detail in elevation of the valve shown in Eig. 4.

Referring first to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the numeral 1 indicates the outer shell of the boiler, and the numeral 2 the crown-sheet of the lire-box. In applying my invention l preferably place the fusible plug 3 in a non-fusible bushing fl, which latter is screwed with a steam-tight joint into the top of the crown-sheet 2 in the constructionillustrated in Fig. 1. A tubular valve-casing 5 is screw-threaded onto the upper end of the bushing 4L and lforms a steamtight joint therewith. lVorking within the valve-casing 5 is a rotary cut-oil valve 6, which, as shown, has a diametrically-eXtended port 7, that is adapted to register with ports 8 in the sides of the valve-casing5- The port 7 is always open to the bushing 1i through a lateral passage 7, The valve 6 has a stem 9, that projects to the exteriorl of the boiler and. is preferably terminated in au angular shank 10, to which a wrench may be applied to turn.

said valve. The valve-stem 9 is incased by a tube 11, which has screw-threaded engagement with the valve-casing 5 and with the boiler-shell 1. An annular plug 1Q, screwed into the outer end of the tube 11, engages a collar 13 on the stem 9 to prevent outward or upward movements of the valve 6. Preferably a cap-nut 141 is screwed onto the outer end of the tube 11 to inelose and protect the angular shank 10 of the valve-stem.

Yln the arrangement illustrated in Fig. L1 the bushing L is screwed into the flue-sheet 2 just above the horizontal line of the upper flues 15. Also in this arrangement the cut-off valve 6 is of slightly different form and is seated in a valve-casing 5fL of slightly diflerent form, but having, as before, the diametrically opposite ports 8.

One of these IOO ports 8 opens into the boiler, while the other is in constant communication with the bushing el. Otherwise than noted the construction is substantially as before described,

lVith both of the arrangements described the cut-off valve must, of course, be normally set in an open position and the fusible plug relied upon to close the steam-escape passage from the boiler into the n're-boX. As before stated, the said steam-escape passage may, however, be closed at any time after it has been opened by the melting of the fusible plug' simply by giving the valve approximately a one-fourth turn.

The advantage of a device of the above character will be readily appreciated by all persons familiar with the running of engines. The device is of small cost, may be easily applied to all forms of boilers, and when applied and properly set in no wise interferes with the safety action attained by the use of the fusible plug.

From what has been said it will be understood that the device described is capable of a great many modifications and different arrangements all within the scope of my invention as herein set forth and claimed.

That I claim, and desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States,is as follows:

The combination with a boiler, of a bushing projecting through one plate or wall of the lire-box and into the steam-chamber of the boiler, `a fusible plug' normally closing the passage through said bushing, a valve-casing having ports communicating with said busliing and with the steam-chamber of the boiler, a valve for opening and closing the ports of said valve-casing, and having a stem extending to the exterior of the boiler, and a tube surrounding said valve-stem and extending from said valve-casing to the boiler-shell, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l'aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDVARD S. BEATTY. lVitnesses:

O. M. ARNs'rAD, JACOB L. RosHoLT. 

